Beautiful, Inside and Out
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: Companion piece to Cinderella Grows a Spine and Snow White Learns Stranger Danger. What do you do when your arrogance and pride leaves you alone in the world? Some people lash out, falling deeper and deeper into darkness. Others learn from the experience, and become better for it. A 'twisted fairytale' retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do not own Beauty and the Beast. Original Characters belong to me._

 _Summary: Companion piece to_ ** _Cinderella Grows a Spine_** _and_ ** _Snow White Learns Stranger Danger_** _._ _What do you do when your arrogance and pride leaves you alone in the world?_ _Some people lash out, falling deeper and deeper into darkness. Others learn from the experience, and become better for it. A 'twisted fairytale' retelling of Beauty and the Beast._

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Long ago, in a far away land, a girl dreamed of being a princess and living in a shining castle. Though she had everything that could be desired, the girl was spoiled, selfish and unkind.

One winter night, an older woman (by only a few years, but who never let her forget it) came to her, asking for her company, to shelter from the bitter cold of loneliness and grief.

Annoyed and angry, for she had been invited to the nearby castle, home of a Duke, for a ball, the girl turned the woman away. The woman warned her not to be so harsh, because even Hope could only spend so long trying to break down a wall.

The girl turned her away again, crossly suggesting that marriage to the first man who would accept her dowery (and the girl already had several in mind) would cure the woman's loneliness.

* * *

The resulting fight was as furious and messy as only quarrels between sisters can be.

"Last time I looked at the law books, you need my consent, or the consent of my guardian, to have the settlement signed! I refuse to marry someone I haven't even met!"

"That's just for the settlement!" The girl responded with equal fury, not even sure why she was so angry, "It's possible to marry without one!"

The woman actually jerked back in shock. "You'd leave me totally at the mercy of a man neither of us know the first thing about? A settlement outlines what he can or can't do to me and my dowery while we are married, and protects me if I should be widowed!"

The girl's voice reached almost a frustrated shriek, "If it gets you out of my hair and means that you stop embarassing me every time you go out in public, then I don't care! You want your independence? Take it!"

"So my choices are being cast out or marrying a stranger?" The woman's voice was colder than the night outside as she drew herself up, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get all this finalised before the solicitors find time to read our parent's Will, and whether or not the right of the eldest to inherit was bypassed."

It was the girl's turn to reel back. How could she accuse her of such a thing? "Leaving aside how badly you'd ruin things, how dare you say something like that? I want you out of the way so you stop ruining my chances to find a husband!"

The woman almost growled, "Why don't you marry some old man out for a quick money-making scheme, then? I doubt that any of the elite would come calling for your personality!"

The girl turned red, stamping her foot. "Because I want to marry a man who loves me, and thinks that I'm a wonderful person for myself! Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

The woman raised a sarcastic eyebrow, her expression clearly conveying her scorn, "Yet you'd refuse me that same chance, and condemn me to a loveless, powerless marriage to improve your chances?"

The girl threw up her hands, "Because you don't realise that its never going to happen! No-one wants to marry a woman that most of society considers half-insane, who cares more about books than caring for her husbands needs."

The woman looked hurt, but rallied herself. ""A man worth having shouldn't require a woman to be both wife and nursemaid. What woman wants to marry an overgrown child?"

The girl sighed, realising that they were only arguing in circles as she looked at the clock, feeling the anger drain out of her. "Then its a good thing that you don't need to worry about that choice. I have to go."

The woman graced her with a scornful look. "So, finally trying to seek you out instead of waiting for you to come to me was a waste of time, then? And where are you going?"

The girl's glare was a superior one, "I've been invited to the home of a Duke for a Ball, and I don't want your dramatics messing it up for me. I'll tell you more about your future husband when I get back."

She ignored the narrowed eyes and mutter that sounded something like _'don't count on it'._ Sometimes she wished that they had both been born with different sisters. It would make life so much easier.

* * *

When she returned from the castle, the woman was gone, and in her place was a dark and empty house, with a potted rosebush and an acerbic note, saying that it would bloom if she could learn to love it as much as she loved herself, or die if she continued with the kind of care she gave to others.

Alone and despairing, abandoned by the people that she thought mattered, and having lost the only ones who really did, the girl sank into darkness, wondering if she would ever love or be loved once the scandal broke.

For who could love one with the heart of a beast?

.

.

.

.

* * *

 _A/N: So, a lot of people who read the first instalment of the series asked for Sophia's backstory. Originally, I hadn't planned on it, but then this plot bunny started gnawing on my leg. Curse you all._

 _That said, I have several directions that this story could go in, so any feedback is much appreciated, even if it's just to explain WHY the story sucks and I should never write again..  
To '_ ** _guest_** _', the reviewer who has been trawling through my stories to insult me and shriek about how they aren't identical to Canon: I know, because that would be plagiarism, and this is an AU fanfiction. Either sign in so I can actually address your concerns in a PM, or go read/watch the original again._

 _Thanks,_

 _Nat_


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Beauty and the Beast, or any of the associated characters. I do own this interpretation of it. Otherwise, all credit goes to Disney._

 _Summary: See Previous Chapters._

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Isabella had never thought that she would miss her sister.

Few would have recognised them as sisters at first glance, with Isabella being as fair as her sister was dark, small and delicate where Sophia was tall and unconventionally strong. Isabella was what all the etiquette manuals insisted was proper in a woman, while the only thing that stopped Sophia from being a Bluestocking was their parents refusal to let her attend the debates and academic discussions hosted by ladies who had already earned the somewhat ignoble title.

They had never been close, but Isabella could not blame that entirely on her sister. Isabella had sought to be the centre of attention, even if it meant mocking and belittling her sister in the process, sometimes to Sophia's face. By the time Isabella matured enough to realise that she did herself no favours by this behaviour, Sophia had been metaphorically burned so many times that she regarded Isabella's attempted overtures with wary mistrust, never fully opening up to her.

The unspoken expectation of nastiness was something that Isabella resented, and she resented still more the fact that Sophia's reaction was both not unreasonable, and largely Isabella's fault.

That Sophia spent so much time in the library, a place that Isabella habitually avoided, did not help their lack of sisterly affection in the slightest.

The year after Isabella came of age to be presented, entirely smug that she would be introduced to Society and safely married before the family risked inflicting Sophia on anyone who could affect their social standing, sickness swept through the area, heedless of wealth or status in its victims, leaving no family untouched.

Isabella's dreams of marriage and fashion and invitations were dashed, because until she was confirmed as independent or a guardian was named for them (and with the number of Wills to be dealt with after the sickness, that could be a long time in coming) there was no-one to negotiate or sign a settlement, and no woman in control of her senses would marry without one.

Other men gasped at the inpropriety of a younger sister courting before the elder one was even out. The more conservative ones found it unthinkable that Isabella could even be out before Sophia had at least a serious suitor.

The solution, of course, was to make Sophia's not-inconsiderable dowery known, and see who came knocking. There were plenty of impoverished Peers who would put up with the difference in station if it meant a dowery large enough to pay off their debts, and then Sophia would be out of the way and Isabella could focus on making a match for herself, without embarrassing relatives to get in the way.

Then, Sophia had found out, and wasted no time in taking the only option available to her. Isabella had weathered the scandal by virtue of the fact that Sophia had always been eccentric, and that it wouldn't take long for some new scandal to divert Society's attention.

Of course, without Sophia around for people to mock for her eccentricity and bluestocking tendencies, Isabella's own flaws were not so easily hidden. Her superiority, not meant as a compliment, her lack of regard for others and the fact that most of her friends were of the 'fair-weather' variety, swiftly led to being abandoned.

* * *

Now alone but for the servants, who gossiped too much for Isabella to trust them with her secrets, she found that she missed her sister's gentle patience and subtle wit, and very much missed how she had been shown to perhaps-undeserved advantage when compared to Sophia's eccentricity.

The very fate for which she had laughed at her sister - early spinsterhood or marriage for her dowery - now seemed likely to be her own destiny.

The cruelest irony was that by running away, Sophia had done far better for herself than most women could ever dream, while Isabella, who took the greatest care to never deviate from the rules of Society, was left alone and in distress. Sometimes, she wondered if Sophia ever thought of her without bitterness, or if she crossed her sister's mind at all.

It would be a long time before she hoped again, hope brought by a stranger that, but for her lonliness, she never would have given a second glance.

.

.

.

.

* * *

 _A/N: A short chapter, I know, but I wanted to get something up before I went back to work._

 _I've got another story I'm working on, 'Eternity's Invitation', which is technically a sequel to a now-published work, but can also be read as a stand-alone. Some feedback on that would be awesome, and I'll send virtual nutella-peanut-butter cookies to anyone who reviews._

 _Thanks,_

 _Nat_


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Beauty and the Beast, or any of the associated characters._

 _Summary: See Previous Chapters_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

While it was far from her most serious complaint about her life, Isabella's biggest problem right now was that she was _bored._

She had finished all the projects in her sewing basket, painted a new table, embroidered three cushions, and sent out letters to the friends who were still shunning her, and even her distant acquaintances, inviting them to visit.

Propriety and social standing be damned, she was desperate enough for company that if any of them, even the merchants or Tradesmen that her father had once invested in, took her up on the offer, they could stay for as long as they wished.

* * *

It had been a long time since anyone had actually wished for Isabella's company, long enough that she was actually surprised when her butler appeared one morning, informing her that she had visitors.

It was the work of moments to change into a dress suitable for company, and Isabella barely restrained herself from running to the parlour where her first company in over a year waited for her.

It turned out to be a young man, undeniably very good-looking, and a young girl, technically too young to be out of the nursery. Still, Isabella restrained her curiosity, giving a polite curtsey.

The man offered a courteous bow, gesturing to his companion. "I am Mr Jean Bete, of Bete and Son Trading Company. This is my niece, Belle."

Isabella recognised the name as one of the Trading Companies that her parents had invested in before they died, investing in Trade not carrying the same taint as actually engaging in it. To the best of her recollection, however, neither Bete nor son had been named Jean.

Nevertheless, it wasn't like she had enough social status left for it to be damaged by welcoming a Tradesman into her home, and she had decided that anyone willing to tolerate her company could stay. The only reservation she had was her uncertainty over the name, and there could easily be an explanation for that.

Keeping her best attempt at a pleasant smile on her face, she rang the bell for tea and discreetly summoned her abigail to act as a chaperone. Normally, any young lady would do, but Belle, clearly not older than seven, was too young for the responsibility.

Trying not to sound too direct or suspicious, she gestured for them to be seated. "I am glad that you took me up on the invitation."

Mr Bete's face fell like a stone. "I fear that we had little choice, Madam. My father was struck down by the recent sickness, along with my older brother and his wife, Belle's parents. I was thrust from training for the Church into command of a not-inconsiderable trading business, a role that I find myself entirely unprepared for."

Isabella felt a rare pang of sympathy. She had never realised how much of the everyday running of the household Sophia had taken on… until she was no longer around to do so. "I do not envy you. What are your plans now?"

Somehow, Mr Bete looked even more desolate. "The ships that Father - that I had been counting on to re-stock our inventory have not arrived on schedule, and creditors have begun to call."

Isabella frowned, knowing that feeling all too well. Mr Bete saw her expression and misinterpreted it, hastening to reassure her. "Please do not think that I sought you out for money. I have arranged payment of the debt by leasing out our house while I search for information. Unfortunately, I have no living relatives to care for Belle in my absence, and I need knowledge of what happened to the ships before I can plan what to do next and in order to avoid us both being sent to the Poorhouse. I hoped…"

He bit his lip, and Isabella felt an unusual surge of compassion. Being alone was no easy thing, she knew, especially for a child. Feeling helpless in the face of a situation that you did not know how to fix was even worse. Boldly, she reached out and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. "The port is only an hour away by carriage, and mine is receiving little use at the moment. You are both welcome here for as long as needed."

Indeed, the difficult part would be if she was forced into allowing them to leave and return her to her previous loneliness.

Belle, silent with a book until now, leaped up and hugged Isabella's legs tightly. Mr Bete was less exuberant, but there was no hiding the relief in his eyes when he smiled at her, gently gripping her hand in return. "I cannot thank you enough."

* * *

It was not quite that easy, of course.

Rooms in the guest wing had to be prepared, inquiries needed to be made for a temporary nanny or governess, and the menus had to be changed for a welcoming dinner. It was less fancy than Isabella would have preferred due to the short notice, but that could not be helped.

It was the first dinner that Isabella had hosted for company in far too long. If it was smaller and less ostentatious than the ones she had hosted in previous years, it was still a dinner with guests, rather than a plain meal eaten alone.

Belle's not-quite-as-refined manners were over-looked,on account of her age, and she comported herself quite well for a child of seven.

It was not the welcome back into Society that Isabella had hoped for, but it was something, and that was enough.

For now.

.

.

.

.

* * *

 _A/N: Yes, it's been a long time since I updated, but I've been very busy._

 _The turnaround in Isabella's behaviour is quite sudden, but right now, she has company for the first time in forever, and doesn't want to spoil it. True, lasting change will take a while._

 _In the meantime, the complete, improved versions of **Snow White Learns Stranger Danger** and **Cinderella Grows a Spine** can be found on Amazon, under the pen-name Natasja Rose, as can my newest book, **Eternity's Invitation**. Teasers can be found on my profile_

 _As always, feedback and constructive criticism are the lifeblood of a writer, and even comments on what you didn't like are very much appreciated, because they help me figure out where I need to improve._

 _Thanks,_

 _Nat_


	4. IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION

Hey everyone.

I originally planned to post all of the chapters of **Beautiful, Inside and Out** here before I had it edited and published, but life and publishing deadlines didn't work out that way. I'll leave a few chapters up, and the completed and much improved version can now be found on Amazon as ebook or paperback, under the pen-name Natasja Rose.

The series now also has a seperate series page, "Timless Tales, Modern Morals".

Thanks


End file.
